Back from hiatus…

“But in Pakistan, some C.I.A. veterans of the tribal battles worry that instead of separating the citizenry from the militants the drone strikes may be uniting them. These experts say they fear that killing militants from the sky won’t undermine, and may promote, the psychology of anti-American militancy that is metastasizing in the country.”

…and later –

“Intelligence officials in Washington and Islamabad said it was nearly impossible to measure the impact of the strikes on the so-called ‘war of ideas.'”

Umm…yes. What idea, exactly, is a flying killer robot supposed to convey?